Nursing 101 – Everything a New Nurse Needs to Know

When you graduate and start your first nursing job, you will be full of emotions. Excitement, anticipation, fear, and nervousness are all pretty standard emotions of a new nurse. There are things you can do, and have with you to help, prepare, and remember. There is a lot to learn, and it will take some time to learn everything.

The First Day

On your first day, there are some things that will be good to have with you, and to prepare you for a long career.

Take a small note pad and pen. Even if it is not convenient to take notes in the midst of training, you can jot down information when you, have time.
Ask questions; don't hesitate to ask questions as you receive training. There really is no useless question when it comes to nursing, if you wonder about it, ask.
If you happen to be working a night shift, take a small flashlight. Patients can get upset when they have a bright light turned on while they are trying to sleep.
Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, especially if you are not accustomed to being on your feet all day.
Invest in good scrubs. Nothing is worse than being uncomfortable all day, or showing up to work in wrinkled scrubs. Purchase scrubs with multiple pockets, that will really come in handy as your responsibilities grow.
Start a journal. There are numerous apps that are journals, and this will be more valuable than you realize on your first day. Going back 3 months, 6 months, and a year later will impress you on just how far you have come.
Ask about learning opportunities, including certifications and trainings, the more you learn the more knowledge you will have and the further along your career will be.

As you begin to get acclimated to your new job, there are some things to remember along the way.

Listen, listen, and listen more. Most veteran nurses want to help you as much as possible, so when they offer advice and tips, listen carefully and pay close attention; they have been right where you are.
Inquire about the possibilities of having a mentor. This works great for new nurses; you have a person that is there to answer your questions, and to offer constructive criticism. Hospitals that offer mentor programs have a much higher success rate of keeping nurses.
Ask your supervisor how you are doing, and what areas you should work on, it shows that you want to be the best Nurse you can be.
Volunteer for procedures that you are not familiar with. Not only does it demonstrate your desire to learn, you may learn valuable information.

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Situations to Avoid

There are two things you should never discuss at work, politics and religion. Both subjects can be very, controversial, and there are times and places to discuss them, however work isn't one of them.
Avoid getting caught up in any gossip that is circulating. It's as old as time, where there are, people around one another 8 + hours a day, there will be, some turmoil. Be known as the person that avoids as gossip, regardless of the situation.
Avoid social media involvement. This is a difficult one, as coworkers become friends. Just keep in mind, thoughts, opinions and anything else you share on social media can reflect negatively on you at work.

As you start working your new job, be forgiving of yourself. There may be mistakes along the way, but try to view them as learning lessons. If you learn from a mistake, the mistake is transformed into a lesson, something we all encounter many times in life. Be patient with the learning process. Any job has a learning period and nursing is no different. You have undergone extensive training to become a nurse, but still, you are not accustomed to working one on one with patients. Don't be afraid to do new procedures, as long as an experienced nurse is observing, you should be willing to perform new things with the patients you are treating. Most importantly, do not give up. It will take some time to adjust to a new job, and some days may be very difficult, but taking the bad with the good is a big part of being a good Nurse. Be sure you get plenty of rest in between working shifts, and mentally prepare yourself for learning, and you will do a great job and have a successful career.

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